Hercules Workshop
Vintage Electronics and Technology Repair    © 2010 Hercules Workshop, All Rights Reserved |
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 From our workshop in scenic Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada "Finishing up another nice old Royal typewriter, it's now working just like a nice old Canadian made typewriter should." #niagaratypewriters For more information on typewriter repair, click the below hyper-link; [Read More] |
WelcomeHercules Workshop repairs and reconditions vintage electronics and technology. We still repair calculators, electronic typewriters and dot matrix printers. We love repairing vintage electronic games and vintage computer technology. We also make vintage computer cables (data and video) and custom made to order cables for vintage computing and technology applications. Located in lovely Niagara Falls Canada NIAGARA FALLS CANADA Current Weather |
Company HistoryOriginally founded in 1972 as Hamilton Typewriter and Office Products in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. As an authorized Facit dealer (later Ericsson) we provided factory service for Facit office machines such as calculators, personal computers (PC's), printers, video display terminals (VDT's), typewriters and word processors. In 2010 we re-branded as Hercules Workshop and switched to a mail order / online business. While we still operate our repair shop, most people now send us machines to repair from around the world. We relocated to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada in 2018. Return to Top |
Typewriter and Calculator RepairHercules Workshop reconditions and repairs vintage typewriters and calculators. We still service and repair most model manual, electric and electronic typewriters and calculators in addition to most impact printers such as daisy wheel and dot matrix printers. 
Electronic Typewriter Repair and Service 
TYPEWRITER REPAIR We still repair electronic typewriters. If your typewriter has stopped working, not printing, poor printing, keyboard problems or is dead then we can take a look. Repairs to most makes and models. Flat shop service rate available (includes all labour and most parts). TYPEWRITER MAINTENANCE We recommend that your typewriter be adjusted, serviced, and lubricated by a qualified service technician at least once a year. If you need help, contact us at robert.osborne@herculesworkshop.net or call (289-696-9354) and ask for Rob.
Manual and Electric Typewriter Repair and Cleaning 
TYPEWRITER REPAIR We repair most models of manual (mechanical), electric and electronic vintage typewriters (Brother, Facit, Olivetti, Olympia AEG, IBM, Royal, Smith Corona and Underwood). TYPEWRITER CLEANING The oils and grease used in typewriters attract dust and other foreign material over time. They can accumulate on the latches, escapement, gears and other mechanisms affecting their operation. Adding Machine and Calculator Repair 
General repairs and cleaning of manual (mechanical), electric and electronic vintage calculators. If your calculator has stopped working or isn't working properly anymore we can help with that. Repairs to most makes and models. Flat shop service rate available (includes all labour and most parts). If we can't fix it then you don't pay. Need help? Contact us at robert.osborne@herculesworkshop.net The following procedures can in many cases help resolve difficulties you may have operating your electronic calculator.
Dot Matrix and Daisy Wheel Printer Repair (Impact Printers) 
IMPACT PRINTER REPAIR We still repair most models of impact printers (dot matrix and daisy wheel). General service and maintenance. Flat shop service rates that include labour and most parts. We can resolve parallel and RS-232 printer port interface communication, dead / power supply, print quality and paper feed issues with your printer. We're very good at repairing power supplies on these old impact printers and typewriters. Have a Machine You Want Repaired? Turn around time on repairs is usually 2-3 weeks depending on our repair backlog. If we can't fix your machine or fix it within the quoted repair cost then we'll contact you before proceeding any further. Repair costs do not include return shipping or insurance. All repair work is warrantied against defects in both materials and workmanship.Electronic mail to : robert.osborne@herculesworkshop.net You can also call us Monday to Saturday between 08:00 am and 18:00 pm Return to Top |
Vintage Electronic and Mechanical Game RepairWe repair and recondition most Coleco, Entex, Mattel Electronics, Milton Bradley (MB Electronics) and Tomy vintage electronic handheld and tabletop games. We offer flat service rates that include parts and there's no charge if we're unable to fix. Multi-item repair rates available. 
Vintage Mechanical Game Repair 
HANDHELD / TABLETOP GAME REPAIR Vintage handheld games in the early to mid 1970's were mostly mechanical and wind-up in nature, with simple components such as motors, gears, springs and lights. Our experience working on calculators and typewriters helps us in repairing these nice old mechanical games. If your vintage mechanical handheld or tabletop game has stopped working or isn't working properly anymore then let us take a look. Contact us at robert.osborne@herculesworkshop.net Vintage Electronic Handheld Game Repair 
If your vintage electronic handheld or tabletop game has stopped working properly, no power, won't turn on, no sound, keys aren't working or other issues with functionality, we maybe able to help.  A lot of the OEM parts such as integrated circuits (IC's), transistors and other semi-conductors found in these games haven't been made in years. A lot of the time we're able to cross reference them to available modern substitutes or replacement parts. Taking Care of your Game
Battery Strap, Jack and Switch Replacement 
WE REPAIR OR REPLACE WORN AND DAMAGED PARTS We use quality replacement parts for worn or damaged battery straps, switches, headphone and power jacks. Our replacements meet or exceed original manufacturer specifications. Stock of new replacement electronic components, Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Switches and Semi-Conductors.
Rubber Keypad Repair EFFECTIVE REPAIRS TO WORN CONTACTS ON RUBBER KEYPADS Do you have to press some buttons two or three times before you get a response? If your games keypad isn't working as it should we can fix that. We use a flexible conductive silver coating to repair worn contacts on membrane pads and buttons. We use pure silver for maximum conductivity. Have a Machine You Want Repaired? Turn around time on repairs is usually 2-3 weeks depending on our repair backlog. If we can't fix your machine or fix it within the quoted repair cost then we'll contact you before proceeding any further. Repair costs do not include return shipping or insurance. All repair work is warrantied against defects in both materials and workmanship.Electronic mail to : robert.osborne@herculesworkshop.net You can also call us Monday to Saturday between 08:00 am and 18:00 pm Return to Top |
Cable Manufacturing ProcessWe regularly make a wide variety of custom vintage computer cables. We are able to handle custom orders from a single cable to a medium sized order for multiple cables. All custom cables are fully tested and warrantied against defects in both materials and workmanship. 
Custom Made Vintage Computer Cables 
VINTAGE DATA AND VIDEO COMPUTER CABLES We make custom vintage computer cables. High quality components, assembled by a professional technician. Cable assemblies and components are Lead Free and RoHS Compliant. Shielded conductors are available for high EMI and noise rejection ratios. Figure 1: Nearly completed custom 13 pin DIN coaxial double shielded cables, ready for final assembly and electrical continuity and mechanical stress testing. Cable Assembly Fabrication Difficult soldering problems, such as Solder Wicking, Insulation Damage, and Frayed Ends can develop when making terminations on stranded wire. 
These types of problems can make it difficult to wrap a conductor around a terminal post or other terminating points. Normally we make soldered connections by pretinning the leads that are to be soldered together to bond the strands of the conductor to prevent fraying during the crimping procedure. Then we use insulation to insure each of the inner-insulated conductors and ground/shield lead are reinforced at the junction where the outer insulation was removed. Figure 2: Completed 4 pos mini DIN with metal shield and cover removed to show insulated inner and outer conductors. 
Cable Parts and Components We use only the highest quality components, parts and materials available from top vendors in our cable assemblies. RoHS / Lead Free Most vintage computer cables are some combination of D-Sub or circular DIN connectors. We maintain a large inventory of common DIN, D-Sub back shells and hoods. QA Cable Inspection and Ohmmeter Testing All our cables are fully tested prior to shipping and warrantied against defect in both materials and workmanship. We use two main categories of QA tests. In the first test, the electrical continuity between the ends of the cable are determined and in the second test, mechanical stress is placed on the cable assembly. CONTINUITY TEST This tests for the existence of three main conditions: a high resistance connection, an open connection or an incorrect connection. It can also be used to find cable shorts. MECHANICAL (PULL) TEST The strength of the cable assembly is determined in this test. Cables that are exposed to the repetitive actions of insertion and removal are stressed at specific areas of the cable. Major stress is normally placed on the cable connector ends. We test for changes in the electrical characteristics of the cable as external mechanical stresses are applied. Ordering Information To place an order or to receive a quote, simply contact us with details of what you're trying to connect or what the cable will be used for, we may have already made one or something similar and have the specifications in our database. Vintage custom cables can be ordered un-packaged or in labeled custom packaging. We're able to handle orders from a single cable up to medium sized orders for multiple cables. Electronic mail to : robert.osborne@herculesworkshop.net You can also call us Monday to Saturday between 08:00 am and 18:00 pm [Return to Top] |
Product Descriptions
Product Categories
We apologize but we still haven't copied all of the product descriptions from our old website yet. We're still migrating and updating product descriptions from our old website. [Return to Top] |
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Contact and Ordering InformationIf you require any additional information or if you have any comments, we'd like to hear from you. We can be contacted by any of the methods below. We would appreciate it if you would give us your name in any communications so we know who you are. Thanks,
Contact Hercules Workshop
Sending Items for Repair It's usually best to contact us before shipping items to us for repair, just so we'll be expecting them. You can either call us or write to us at the below email box. We recommend shipping insured parcel post.
Shipping Address: Hercules Workshop Mail Order For those who don't want to shop online, all our products are available via Mail Order and can be ordered by sending check or money order to the above address. Please do not send cash or coins through the mail. No C.O.D orders will be accepted. You can also order using email by writing to our general mailbox robert.osborne@herculesworkshop.net. After we receive your order we'll send an electronic invoice through PayPal. You can pay using your Debit Card, Credit Card or your PayPal account.
Online Ordering We offer several fun and interesting ways to order online. We have an online store on a traditional site, eBay as well as a newer site, Etsy. Both are very popular, safe, and secure online marketplaces. You can also order on the old Hercules Workshop website as its online store is still operational. Prices on our own site tend to be cheaper as we don't need to kick a percentage of each sale back to platform providers. The below hyper-links are external and should open a new browser window that will take you to another page on the web
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Write to us (Electronic Mail);
Telephone - Monday to Saturday 08:00 - 18:00 Eastern;
Write to us (Letter Mail);
Electronic Bulletin Board (BBS);